Collapsible vehicle

ABSTRACT

A vehicle collapsible to occupy a smaller volume for storage and transportation purposes which has a front and rear frame held together in sliding relationship so that the vehicle can be reduced in length for storage and extended in length for operation. The vehicle has a seat carried by the rear frame which includes a back support member pivotally movable with respect to the rear frame for folding into an out-of-the-way horizontal position. The rear wheels of the vehicle are carried by a suspension means which holds the wheels in alternative vertically extended and vertically retracted positions. Actuating means is provided for selectively moving the rear wheels to their retracted position by pivoting the back support member to its horizontal position, and for moving the rear wheels to their extended position by pivoting the back support member to its generally upright position. A steering bar is provided, which, when folded, also serves the purpose of retaining all folding parts of the vehicle in their folded positions.

United States Patent 1 1 Dougherty et al.

111- 3,770,289 1 -Nov. 6, 1973 COLLAPSIBLE VEHICLE [22] Filed: Aug. 17,1970 211 Appl. No.: 64,581

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division Of Ser. N0. 714,588, March20, 1968', Pat.

[52] U.S. Cl. 280/36 R, 180/25 A [51] Int. Cl B62b 11/00 [58] Field ofSearch 280/36 R, 34 R, 62; 296/26, 27; 180/25 A [56] References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 3,580,348 5/1971 Blasi 180/25 A 3,004,619 l0/l96lStraussler 280/36 R 3,329,228 7/1967 Harris 280/36 R 3,249,171 5/1966.Kinghorn 180/25 A 3,242,896 3/1966 Kauffmann 180/25 A 3,417,834 12/1968Smith 280/36 R Primary ExaminerLeo Friaglia Assistant Examiner-Robert R.Song 57 ABSTRACT A vehicle collapsible to occupy a smaller volume forstorage and transportation purposes which has a front and rear frameheld together in sliding relationship so that the vehicle can be reducedin length for storage and extended in length for operation. The vehiclehas a seat carried by the rear frame which includes a back supportmember pivotally movable with respect to the rear frame for folding intoan out-of-the-way horizontal position. The rear wheels of the vehicleare carried by a suspension means which holds the wheels in alternativevertically extended and vertically retracted positions. Actuating meansis provided for selectively moving the rear wheels to their retractedposition by pivoting the back support member to its horizontal position,and for moving the rear wheels to their extended position by pivotingthe back support member to its generally upright position. A steeringbar is provided, which, when folded, also serves the purpose ofretaining all folding parts of the vehicle in their folded positions.

19 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures PATENTEDRuv s an SHEET 10? s PATENTEUHHYmm 3.770.289

SHEET 30F 5 I, I I ill I I I SHEET u [if 5 PATENTEDNuv 6 I975COLLAPSIBLE VEHICLE This is a division of application, Ser. No. 714,588,filed Mar. 20, 1968, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,745.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Small vehicles with engines of very lowhorsepower are often used as golf carts, as well as for general yardworkaround the home and for providing transportation around large buildings,parks and airports. It is desirable for the owners of these vehicles tobe able to collapse thern into a small volume for storage purposes andfor ease of carrying, yet the vehicles must also be readily returned tooperative condition, ready to transport the user. It is desirable thatsuch a collapsible vehicle be easily and quickly collapsed for storageor transportation, or opened for use. It is also desirable for a small,collapsible scooter or other vehicle to be able to fit into the trunk ofan average car in its collapsed or folded carrying position, so that theuser can readily transport the vehicle to and from its desired place ofuse, as, for example, between ones home and the golf course.

While many types of collapsible vehicles have been proposed,difficulties are encountered in designing a vehicle which canconveniently and quickly fold into a package which fits into the trunkof a standard-sized automobile, yet which, when extended into itsoperative condition, has a sufficiently long wheel base to travel safelyon rough terrain and sufficient height to provide comfortable seating inand boarding of the vehicle.

The invention of this application represents an ecoriomically feasiblesolution to the above difficulties, providing a solidly built, securevehicle which collapses into a small package with as little as twooperations, both of which are easily. performed without the aid of anytools.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The vehicle of this invention. has a framehaving at least one front wheel and-a pair of rear wheels rotatablyattached thereto. The rear wheels having a vertically extended,operative position and a vertically retracted position, as well asactuating means to selectively move the rear wheels between theirextended and their retracted positions.

In a preferred embodiment, the vehicle of this invention has a frontframe including a front wheel holding assembly, atleast one front wheelrotatably attachedto the front wheel holdingassembly, and a floor boardcarried by the front frame. This embodiment of the vehicle also has arear frame which is typically separated by at least one intermediatemember between, and in sliding, relationship with, both the front andrear frames, so thatthe front and rear frames can telescope toward eachother and moveaway from each other alternativelyinto a retracted,storage position orinto an stored. Preferably, the back support memberis pivotally attached to a link which causes the rear wheels to retractas the back support member is pivoted to its flat position, and whichcauses the rear wheels to extend as the back support member is pivotedto its generally upright position.

Thus, the preferred vehicle of this invention can be convenientlycollapsed by merely folding its back support member flat and by slidingthe front and rear frames toward each other to provide a package havingsignificantly less height, because of the retraction of the rear wheels,and significantly less length, due to the sliding of the front and rearframes toward each other, than the vehicle in its operativeconfiguration.

It is also desirable for the steering bar of the preferred vehicle ofthis invention to fold downwardly to engage a latch on the rear framefor the multiple purpose of securing the front and rear frames in thecollapsed position and the seat and seat back in the flat position.

The vehicle of this invention typically utilizes a novel suspensionsystem which permits its rear wheels to alternatively assume an extendedor retracted position and to move therebetween. Furthermore, the novelsuspension system of this invention does more than merely lifting of thevehicle while it is in a folded position,

since the rear wheels remain in their retracted position, and do notflop back and forth between their extended and their retracted positionswhile the vehicle is being lifted.

Any such flopping about that might result when the vehicle frame islifted up (as for example when the rear of the vehicle is raised off theground) is also avoided by the novel suspension system of thisinvention. Thus suspension system does not simply permit the wheels totake a selected extended position, but actually retains them in such aposition by a positive holding action, even when the vehicle frame islifted up and lowered again. This of course greatly simplifies anylifting of the vehicle over an obstacle on the ground when the vehicleis in use.

Still another advantage of the vehicle of this invention is that thepositive control of the position of the rear wheels with respect to theframe of the vehicle permits use of a method of lifting the vehible intoan automobile trunk and collapsing it there that requires less strengthon the part of the user than with other collapsible vehicles. In thismethod, the user may lift the front of the vehicle into the automobiletrunk, while leaving the rear of the vehicle resting on the ground. Theuser can then slide the front portion of the vehicle deep into the cartrunk to leave only the rear wheels outside the trunk. Finally, the rearwheels can be retracted and the position of the collapsed vehicleadjusted in the trunk. Using this method, the user avoids having to liftthe entire vehicle off the ground at one time.

In a preferred embodiment, the suspension system of this vehicle has theadded advantage of having a shock absorbing spring which permits therear wheels in the extended position to bounce over bumps withouttransmitting all of the shock created thereby to the frame of thevehicle. This spring forms part of the means for extending andretracting the rear wheels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the collapsiblevehicle of this invention in its extended, operative condition.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same motor vehicle shown with itsfront and rear frames in partially collapsed relationship to each other.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view that shows the same vehicle in itscompletely collapsed condition.

FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the rear frame and the associated parts ofthe same vehicle.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the rear portion of the same vehicle in itsextended, operative condition, with one wheel and side wall of thevehicle omitted for clarity.

FIG. 6 is a similar side view of the same vehicle but in its completelycollapsed, storage condition.

FIGS. 7a, 7b, and 7c are sectional views taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 8,showing the sliding parts of the same vehicle which permit the front andrear portions of the vehicle to slide together or apart with respect toeach other.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along lines 88 of FIG. 2and FIG. 7b.

FIG. 9 is a side view, partly broken away, of a portion of thesuspension system for the rear wheels of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the upper hinge member used in theportion of the rear wheel suspension system shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken along the line l1-ll inFIG. 5, showing the attachement of the trailing arm of the rear wheelsuspension system to the frame of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged, sectional view of the region around latch 25shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a portion of the rear frame and associatedparts of the same vehicle, with the seat and engine cover, as well ascertain other parts, removed.

FIG. 14 is a side view, partly broken away, of the hinge mechanismbetween the steering bar and the wheel-holding assembly of the samevehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT FIGS. 1 through 3 show a vehiclehaving a front frame 2 which includes a front panel 3. Front frame 2carries a front wheel holding assembly 4 containing a pintle assembly 5,a front wheel 6 rotatably attached to assembly 4, and a steering bar 8.Steering bar 8 is pivotally attached to the pintle assembly 5 to permitthe steering bar to turn the front wheel in a desired direction, whilealso permitting the steering bar to pivot in a vertical plane.

A detailed showing of the hinged attachment of steering bar 8 is seen inFIG. 14. Spring means 10 biases the steering bar 8 upward, but permitsthe steering bar to be forceably swung downward, rotating about hinge 9in the process. The steering bar 8 and hinge 9 are attached to pintleassembly 5, which permits the steering bar to turn the front wheel tochange the direction in which the vehicle is moving.

The front frame 2 also has a floor board 12 which carries a track 14that is in a slidable relationshipwith the rear frame 16 to permit thefront and rear frames to telescope together to shorten the length of thevehicle when it is to be transported or stored, and also to permit thefront and rear frames to extend away from each other into operativecondition when this is desired, thereby providing a sufficiently longwheel base to permit the vehicle to provide a reasonable degree ofoperation safety and comfort.

The rear frame 16 has side walls 17, and carries rear wheels 18, a seat20, and a back support member 22. Both of the latter members can befolded flat into an out-of-the-way position when the vehicle iscollapsed into its storage condition. Upon folding the seat and backsupport member flat, the rear wheels 18 are retracted upwardly (in amanner explained below) to lower the height of the vehicle for easierstorage, as is shown in FIG. 3. Q

When the front and rear frames are collapsed together, the steering bar8 can be folded downwardly until it rests upon the seat and back supportmember, and the hinged handle 24 can pivot downwardly to the rear of thevehicle to engage a latch 25 (shown in FIGS. 6 and 12), thus preventingboth relative sliding movement between the front frame and the rearframe and upward movement of the seat assembly while the vehicle isbeing transported.

Rear frame 16 also carries an engine cover 26 and shroud 28. The shroud28 is typically made of flexible sheet metal which is affixed at one endto rear frame 16 and at the other end to floor board 12, so that it bowsto the rear, following floor board 12, when the front frame istelescoped toward the rear frame.

FIG. 4 gives a view of the rear portion of the vehicle as seen from thebottom. Gasoline engine 30 is connected by belt 31 to transmission 32.The transmission operates shaft 32s which carries brake disc 33 anddrive chain 35. The drive chain operates sprocket wheel 37, which isattached to axle 34 through differential 38, thus transferring powerfrom the engine to rear wheels 18.

The axle 34 is suspended from trailing arms 36, which are part of thesuspension system further described below. A stabilizer bar 39, which issecured at one end to one of the trailing arms 36 and at the other toside wall 17 of the rear frame, prevents lateral motion of the rearwheels and axle.

Fuel tank F and muffler 41 complete the major components of the drivemeans for the particular vehicle shown, although the specific nature ofthe drive means does not constitute a part of this invention.

A pair of latches 40 are affixed to the underside of the floor board 12,and are each biased by a spring 42 against edge 44 of the rear frame 16so that the front and rear frames are securely held in their extendedposition with respect to each other during operation of the vehicle.

When it is desired to telescope the front and rear frames together forstoring the vehicle, one merely pulls on ring 46 at the rear of thevehicle. Ring 46 is attached to line 48, which runs through hollowmember 50 and is attached to cross line 52. Such a pull on ring 46causes the latches 40 to rotate inwardly out of engagement with shoulder44, and also causes the from frame to be drawn to the rear a little wayto prevent the latches 40 from relatching. After this the front and rearframes are in condition to be slid together into telescoped position.

In the particular embodiment shown, the seat and back support member arecollapsed to raise the rear wheels and associated components before thefront and rear frames are slid into their completely telescoped positionshown in FIG. 3.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a conventional dual track ball slide assembly whichcomprises track 60 affixed to channel 61 which is a part of rear frame16, ball carriers 54 and 59, balls 62 and 56, intermediate member 58,and track 14 which is affixed to floorboard 12. Intermediate member 58and carriers 54 and 59 are movable with respect to each other and totracks 60 and 14.

The three illustrations of FIG. 7 show what happens to the variousmembers as the frontframe is telescoped toward the rear frame. Floorboard 12 and front panel 3 are shown in phantom lines.

FIG. 7a shows the position of the various members while the front andrear frames are in their extended, operative position. FIG. 7b showstypical positions of the various members when the front and rearframes'are partially telescoped. As shown, intermediatev member 58 andball carrier 54 have retained their relative positions with respect toeach other and to floor board 12 and the three latter members have allmoved to the rear along track 60. As soon as intermediate member 58reaches the end 64 of track 60 it is stopped, as shown in FIG. 7b. Uponfurther telescoping, front frame 2, comprising floor board 12 and frontpanel 3, proceeds toward the rear and is stopped at the position shownin FIG. 70.

Balls 62 and ball carrier 59 have been eliminated from FIG. 7 forpurposes of clarity.

FIG. 8 also shows additional detail of the construction of floor board12. The floor board is preferably a hollow shell filled with a plasticfilling material 66 such as a rigid polyurethane foam.

Referring also to FIGS. 5, 6 and 9, rear wheels 18 are mounted upon axle34 which passes through a bearing aperture at one end of trailing arm36.

It should be noted at this point that FIGS. 5 and 6 show only onetrailing arm, since the figures show a side view in which the othertrailing arm is obscured. Similarly, the other parts of the suspensionsystem shown in these figures are, in this embodimenLdup'licated on theother side of the vehicle. FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 show the double arrangementof many of the parts which are shown as single parts in FIGS. 5 and 6.

Trailing arm 36 is hinged at its other end to frame member 70, which isa part of rear frame 16. Lower hinge member 71 comprises spring 72,which is attached to the top side of trailing arm 36 by means of hinge74, and flexible but nonextensible member 76, which runs axially fromone end of spring 72 to the other, and is secured at each end of thespring to prevent the spring from overextending so as to keep the wheels18 from dropping while they are in their retracted position. Member 76can be a steel cable surrounded by a sleeve which acts as a stop for thesuspension.

The tops of spring 72 and member 76 are affixed to hinge 78 so that thelower hinge member 71 can engage in cooperative hinged motion with upperhinge member 80 which, is turn, is pivoted to upper frame member 82, apart of rear frame 16. Bar 84 is pivotally attached at one end to upperhinge member 80 and at the other end to seat support 85, which isattached to the rear of back support member 22 at locations near thesides of frame member 82. Seat support 85 is hinged to frame member topermit back support member 22 to fold flat when the vehicle is to becollapsed into its storage position.

Strut 86 is pivotally attached to seat support 85 at one end, while theother end of the strut rests against the corner 88 of a crossbar of rearframe 16. A strut 86 is provided on each side of the vehicle, so thatthe two struts can cooperate to support back support member 22 at eachof its ends.

' The weight on rear wheels 18 and axle 34 is carried by the arrangementof lower hinge member 71 and upper hinge member 80. When the rear wheelsare in their operative position, the upper hinge member bears againstframe member 82, so that the weight of rear frame 16 and the partscarried by it is borne by upper hinge member 80.

A more detailed view of upper hinge member 80 is given in FIGS. 9 and10, showing how the side walls 92 of the upper hinge member and lip 90form a yokeshaped portion which encloses and pivots about frame member82. Lip 90 bears against the bottom of the frame member 82 when theupper hinge member is in the load-bearing position shown in FIG. 5,providing a stable suspension system. A sudden shock on the rear wheels18 when the vehicle is moving is transferred to the axle 34, causing thetrailing arm 36 to rotate upward and the force to be damped by spring72.

Lower hinge member 71 and upper hinge member 80 are capable of engagingin hinged motion with respect to each other. It is preferable for themto be in a locked kneel position with respect to each other in themanner of a toggle joint, rather than in an end-toend, parallelrelationship, while the rear wheels are in their operative position sothat sudden bumps will not throw the two hinge members out of line,causing the rear wheels to retract.

The rear wheels 18 can be retracted, and the seat 20 and back supportmember 22 folded into a horizontal position, by pulling the back supportmember 22 and seat supports slightly forward while simultaneouslypushing both struts 86 downward to release them from their backsupporting position. The seat 20 and the seat supports 85, which arehinged together at 92, can be folded backwards into a horizontalposition by hinged motion on the part of hinged members 94 and seatsupports 85, which carry back support member 22 with them into ahorizontal position. In so doing, bar 84 is driven downward, causinglower hinge member 71 and upper hinge member 80 to engage in hingedmotion to move from their locked knee position of FIG. 5 into an acuteangle relationship as shown in FIG. 6. This causes trailing arm 36 to bedrawn upward, which in turn causes axle 34, wheels 18, and sprocket 37(shown in phantom lines) to retract into the frame of the vehicle.

Thus, the one motion of folding seat 20 and back support member 22 intoa flat position causes the rear wheels of the vehicle of this inventionto retract. Unfolding the seat and back support member once again cuasesthe rear wheels to extend.

As shown in FIG. 6, the collapsed vehicle has the front and rearframesdrawn together, the rear wheels retracted, and the seat 20, seatsupports 85, and back support member 22 horizontal. The steering bar 8occupies a horizontal position over the seat and back support memberwith the hinged handle 24 of the steering bar swung down to a generallyvertical position at the rear of the vehicle. Here it engages latch 25by means of aperture 96 in handle 24, thus preventing the front and rearsections of the vehicle from sliding with respect to each other and theseat members from moving upward. A detailed view of this latch is shownin FIG. 12.

FIG. 11 shows how the trailing arm 36 is attached to frame member 70 bymeans of a typical rubber bushing assembly, containing rubber bushing88, which is attached to outer sleeve 89 and inner sleeve 90. Outersleeve 89 is affixed to the trailing arm 36. Inner sleeve 90 is held totheframe member 70 by a conventional nut and bolt arrangement. Theposition of the trailing arm is adjusted before tightening the nut andbolt arrangement so that the rubber bushing 88 is under upward twistingtension to exert a substantial torque which biases the trailing armupward toward the upper hinge member, contributing to the retention ofthe rear wheels in the retracted position.

FIG. 13 shows a top view of many of the major components of the drivesystem for the vehicle of this invention. Arm which is operated bycontrol cable 510, is shown in its open position with brake released andengine throttle open. The arm 51 swings about pivot 51p, as operated bycable 510, which in turn is generally operated by depressing anaccelerator foot pedal located in floor board 12 at the front of thevehicle.

When arm 51 is in its closed position, the engine throttle is closed toits idling position by means of cable 51f, and brake pads 53 are broughtto bear against brake disc 33, which is attached to shaft 32s. Thus,releasing the accelerator foot pedal will cause the engine to idle andsimultaneously will cause the brake to be applied to prevent the vehiclefrom rolling.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations andmodifications may be effected without departing from the true spirit andscope of the novel concept of the invention. It is, of course, intendedto cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall withinthe scope of the invention.

That which is claimed is:

l. A vehicle collapsible to occupy a smaller volume for storage purposeswhich comprises: a frame; at least one front wheel rotatably attached tosaid frame; at least two rear wheels rotatably attached to said frame,said rear wheels having a vertically extended, operative position and avertically collapsed position; a seat having a back support member, saidback support member being normally generally upright and being pivotallyattached to said frame for folding flat on top of the frame; and meansfor selectively moving said rear wheels into said vertically collapsedposition and simultaneously folding said back support member flat onsaid frame, and for moving said rear wheels into said verticallyextended position and simultaneously raising said back support memberfrom its folded position to its generally upright position.

2. The collapsible motor vehicle of claim 1 in which said pivotallymounted back support member is remote from said rear'wheels and isconnected thereto by an expansible and collapsible linkage forcontrolling the vertical position of said rear wheels as said back support member is moved from one of its positions to another.

3. A vehicle collapsible to occupy a smaller volume for storagepurposes, which comprises: a frame; at least one front wheel rotatablyattached to said frame; at least one rear axle; means for suspendingeach of said rear axles from the frame and for alternatively holdingeach of said axles in a vertically extended, operative position and avertically retracted position; at least one wheel rotatably carried byeach of said axles; a seat attached to the frame and having a backsupport member, said back support member being normally generallyupright and being pivotally moveable with respect to the frame forfolding into an out-of-the-way horizontal position; and an actuatinglink, operated by pivoting said back support member and operativelyconnected with said suspending means, for moving each of said axles intoits retracted position by pivoting the back support member to itshorizontal position, and for moving the axle into its extended positionby pivoting the back support member to its said upright position.

4. The collapsible vehicle of claim 3 in which said back support memberis held in its generally upright position by means of a latch memberwhich is normally biased toward a position supporting said back supportmember.

5. The collapsible vehicle of claim 3 in which said suspending meanscomprises: at least one trailing arm for carrying each of said axles,each of said trailing arms being hinged to said frame at one end of thearm; a lower hinge member pivotally attached at one end to each of saidtrailing arms; and upper hinge member pivotally attached at one end toeach of said lower hinge members and at its other end to said frame andto form a hinged joint; and stop means limiting the amplitude of thehinged motion in which said lower and upper hinge members may engagewith respect to each other in one direction beyond an end-to-end,parallel relationship while permitting them to engage in hinged motionfreely in the other direction, whereby as said lower and upper hingemembers engage in hinged motion in said other direction to move fromsaid end-to-end parallel relationship with each other to an acute anglerelationship, the free end of each of said trailing arms is retractedtowards said upper hinge member, while during hinged motion in theopposite direction back towards said end-to-end, parallel relationship,of said hinged members the free end of each trailing arm is extendedaway from said upper hinge member, so that each of said rear axles canbe alternatively held in a vertically extended, operative position and avertically retracted position.

6. The collapsible vehicle of claim 5 in which one of said hinge memberscomprises a compressible coil spring.

7. The collapsible vehicle of claim 5 in which said actuating link ispivotally connected at one end to one of said hinge members andpivotally connected at the other end to said back support member.

8. The collapsible vehicle of claim 5 in which the upper end. of saidupper hinge member forms a yoke, the arms of said yoke being pivotallyattached to said frame, and said stop means is carried by said upperhinge member below said yoke to permit said upper and lower members toengage in hinged motion in one direction no farther than a positionslightly beyond the end-to-end, parallel position of said hinge members,but to permit hinged motion of said members freely in the otherdirection.

9. The collapsible vehicle of claim in which the hinge between saidframe and the upper end of said trailing arm contains a rubber bushingwhich separates the frame and the trailing arm, which bushing adheres tosaid frame and trailing arm and is twisted so as to exert torque urgingthe free end of said trailing arm toward said upper hinge member.

10. A vehicle collapsible to occupy a smaller volume for storagepurposes, which comprises: a front frame including a front wheel-holdingassembly; at least one front wheel rotatably attached to said assembly;a floor board carried by said front frame; a rear frame; means forholding said floor board and rear frame in sliding relationship, wherebysaid front and rear frames can telescope toward and move away from eachother into alternative collapsed and extended positions; rear wheelsrotatably carried by said rear frame; and means for alternativelyholding said rear wheels in a vertically extended, operative positionand a vertically retracted position and for moving said rear wheelsbetween said vertically extended and vertically retracted positions.

11. The collapsible vehicle of claim 10 in which the rear frame and thefloor board are separated by at least one intermediate member betweensaid floor board and rear frame, said intermediate member having asliding relationship with said floor board and rear frame.

l2.The collapsible vehicle of claim 10 in which a steering bar ispivotally attached to said front frame, said steering bar being adaptedto fold into engagement with a latch on the rear frame when said frontand rear frame are in their collapsed position, to prevent the front andrear frames from moving away from each other into their extendedposition.

13. The collapsible vehicle of claim 10 in which a seat having anormally generally upright back support member is pivotally attached tosaid rear frame for folding flat on top of the rear frame, and in whichsaid means for moving the rear wheels between said extended andretracted positions are conrolled by pivoting said back support membertoward its said flat position to retract said wheels and by pivotingsaid back support member toward its generally upright positio to extendsaid wheels.

14. The collapsible vehicle of claim 10 in which a seat having anormally generally upright back support member is pivotally attached tosaid rear frame for folding upon the rear frame, and in which said meansfor moving the rear wheels between said extended and retracted positionsare controlled by pivoting said back support member toward its saidfolded position to retract said wheels and by pivoting said back supportmember toward its generally upright position to extend said wheels.

15. A vehicle collapsible to occupy a smaller volume for storagepurposes, which comprises: a front frame, including a frontwheel-holding assembly; at least one front wheel rotatably attached tosaid assembly; a floor board carried by said front frame; a rear frame;an intermediate sliding member having means for carrying both said floorboard and said rear frame in sliding relationship, whereby said frontand rear frames can telescope toward and move away from each other intoalternative collapsed and extended positions; rear wheels carried by atleast one axle, which axle is attached to the rear frame by means of asuspension system which comprises: a frame; at least one trailing armforcarrying said axle, each of said trailing arms being hinged to said rearframe at one end of each arm; a lower hinge member pivotally attached atone end to each of said trailing arms, an upper hinge member pivotallyattached at one end to each of said lower hinge members and at its otherend to said rear frame to form a hinged joint; stop means limiting theamplitude of the hinged motion in which said lower and upper hingemembers may engage with respect to each other in one direction beyond anend-to-end, parallel relationship while permitting them to engage inhinged motion freelyin the other direction, whereby, as said lower andupper hinge members engage in hinged motion in said other direction tomove from said end-to-end, parallel relationship with each other to anacutate angle relationship, the free end of each of said trailing armsis retracted towards said upper hinge members, while during hingedmotion in the opposite direction back toward said endto-end, parallelrelationship of said hinge members in free end of each trailing arm isextended away from said upper hinge member; whereby said rear wheels andaxle can be alternatively held in a vertically extended, operativeposition and a verticaly retracted position; a seat attached to saidrear frame and having a back support member, said back support memberbeing normally generally upright and being pivotally moveable withrespect to said rear frame for folding into an out-of-the-way horizontalposition; a bar pivotally attached at one end to one of said'hingemembers; the other end of said bar being pivotally attached to said backsupport member, whereby pivoting said back support member to itshorizontal position causes said rear wheels and axle to move into theirretracted position, while pivoting said back support member towards itssaid upright position causes said rear wheels and axle to move to theirextended position; and a steering shaft pivotally attached to said frontframe, which steering shaft folds into engagement with a latch on therear frame when the front and rear frames are in their collapsedposition to prevent the front and rear frames from moving away from eachother into their extended position.

16.'A vehicle collapsible to occupy a smaller volume for storagepurposes which comprises: a frame; at least one front wheel rotatablyattached to said frame; at least two rear wheels rotatably attached tosaid frame, said rear wheels having a vertically extended, operativeposition and a vertically collapsed position; a seat having a backsupport member, said back support member being normally generallyupright and being pivotally attached to said frame for folding upon saidframe; and means for selectively moving said rear wheels into saidvertically collapsed position and simultaneously folding said backsupport member upon said frame, and for moving said rear wheels intosaid vertically extended position and simultaneously raising said backsupport member from its folded position to its generally uprightposition.

17. The collapsible motor vehicle of claim 16 in which said pivotallymounted back support member is remote from said rear wheels and isconnected thereto by an expansible and collapsible linkage forcontrolling the vertical position of said rear wheels as said backsupport member is moved from one of its positions to another.

18. A vehicle collapsible to occupy a smaller volume for storagepurposes, which comprises: a frame; at least one front wheel rotatablyattached to said frame; at

least one rear axle; means for suspending each of said rear axles fromthe frame and for alternatively holding each of said axles in avertically extended, operative position and a vertically retractedposition; at least one wheel rotatably carried by each of said axles; aseat attached to the frame and having a back support member; said backsupport member being normally generally upright and being pivotallymoveable with respect to the frame for folding into an out-of-the-wayposition; and an actuating link, operated by pivoting said back supportmember and operatively connected with said suspending means, for movingeach of said axles into its retracted position by pivoting the backsupport member to its horizontal position, and for moving the axle intoits extended position by pivoting the back support member to its saidupright position.

19. The collapsible vehicle of claim 18 in which said suspending meanscomprises: at least one trailing arm for carrying each of said axles,each of said trailing arms being hinged to said frame at one end of thearm; a lower hinge member pivotally attached at one end to each of saidtrailing arms, an upper hinge member pivotally attached at one end toeach of said lower hinge members and at its other end to said frame andto form a hinged joint; and stop means limiting the amplitude of thehinged motion in which said lower and upper hinge members may engage,with respect to each other in one direction beyond an end-to-end,parallel relationship while permitting them to engage in hinged motionfreely in the other direction, whereby, as said lower and upper hingemembers engage in hinged motion in said other direction to move fromsaid end-toend, parallel relationship with each other to an acute anglerelationship, the free end of each of said trailing arms is retractedtowards said upper hinge member, while during hinged motion in theopposite direction back towards said end-to-end, parallel relationshipof said hinged members the free end of each trailing arm is extendedaway from said upper hinge member, so that each of said rear axles canbe alternatively held in a vertically extended, operative positionand avertically retracted position.

0 l IR

1. A vehicLe collapsible to occupy a smaller volume for storage purposeswhich comprises: a frame; at least one front wheel rotatably attached tosaid frame; at least two rear wheels rotatably attached to said frame,said rear wheels having a vertically extended, operative position and avertically collapsed position; a seat having a back support member, saidback support member being normally generally upright and being pivotallyattached to said frame for folding flat on top of the frame; and meansfor selectively moving said rear wheels into said vertically collapsedposition and simultaneously folding said back support member flat onsaid frame, and for moving said rear wheels into said verticallyextended position and simultaneously raising said back support memberfrom its folded position to its generally upright position.
 2. Thecollapsible motor vehicle of claim 1 in which said pivotally mountedback support member is remote from said rear wheels and is connectedthereto by an expansible and collapsible linkage for controlling thevertical position of said rear wheels as said back support member ismoved from one of its positions to another.
 3. A vehicle collapsible tooccupy a smaller volume for storage purposes, which comprises: a frame;at least one front wheel rotatably attached to said frame; at least onerear axle; means for suspending each of said rear axles from the frameand for alternatively holding each of said axles in a verticallyextended, operative position and a vertically retracted position; atleast one wheel rotatably carried by each of said axles; a seat attachedto the frame and having a back support member, said back support memberbeing normally generally upright and being pivotally moveable withrespect to the frame for folding into an out-of-the-way horizontalposition; and an actuating link, operated by pivoting said back supportmember and operatively connected with said suspending means, for movingeach of said axles into its retracted position by pivoting the backsupport member to its horizontal position, and for moving the axle intoits extended position by pivoting the back support member to its saidupright position.
 4. The collapsible vehicle of claim 3 in which saidback support member is held in its generally upright position by meansof a latch member which is normally biased toward a position supportingsaid back support member.
 5. The collapsible vehicle of claim 3 in whichsaid suspending means comprises: at least one trailing arm for carryingeach of said axles, each of said trailing arms being hinged to saidframe at one end of the arm; a lower hinge member pivotally attached atone end to each of said trailing arms; and upper hinge member pivotallyattached at one end to each of said lower hinge members and at its otherend to said frame and to form a hinged joint; and stop means limitingthe amplitude of the hinged motion in which said lower and upper hingemembers may engage with respect to each other in one direction beyond anend-to-end, parallel relationship while permitting them to engage inhinged motion freely in the other direction, whereby as said lower andupper hinge members engage in hinged motion in said other direction tomove from said end-to-end parallel relationship with each other to anacute angle relationship, the free end of each of said trailing arms isretracted towards said upper hinge member, while during hinged motion inthe opposite direction back towards said end-to-end, parallelrelationship of said hinged members the free end of each trailing arm isextended away from said upper hinge member, so that each of said rearaxles can be alternatively held in a vertically extended, operativeposition and a vertically retracted position.
 6. The collapsible vehicleof claim 5 in which one of said hinge members comprises a compressiblecoil spring.
 7. The collapsible vehicle of claim 5 in which saidactuating link is pivotally connected at one end to one of said hingemembers and pivotally connected at the other end to said back supportmember.
 8. The collapsible vehicle of claim 5 in which the upper end ofsaid upper hinge member forms a yoke, the arms of said yoke beingpivotally attached to said frame, and said stop means is carried by saidupper hinge member below said yoke to permit said upper and lowermembers to engage in hinged motion in one direction no farther than aposition slightly beyond the end-to-end, parallel position of said hingemembers, but to permit hinged motion of said members freely in the otherdirection.
 9. The collapsible vehicle of claim 5 in which the hingebetween said frame and the upper end of said trailing arm contains arubber bushing which separates the frame and the trailing arm, whichbushing adheres to said frame and trailing arm and is twisted so as toexert torque urging the free end of said trailing arm toward said upperhinge member.
 10. A vehicle collapsible to occupy a smaller volume forstorage purposes, which comprises: a front frame including a frontwheel-holding assembly; at least one front wheel rotatably attached tosaid assembly; a floor board carried by said front frame; a rear frame;means for holding said floor board and rear frame in slidingrelationship, whereby said front and rear frames can telescope towardand move away from each other into alternative collapsed and extendedpositions; rear wheels rotatably carried by said rear frame; and meansfor alternatively holding said rear wheels in a vertically extended,operative position and a vertically retracted position and for movingsaid rear wheels between said vertically extended and verticallyretracted positions.
 11. The collapsible vehicle of claim 10 in whichthe rear frame and the floor board are separated by at least oneintermediate member between said floor board and rear frame, saidintermediate member having a sliding relationship with said floor boardand rear frame.
 12. The collapsible vehicle of claim 10 in which asteering bar is pivotally attached to said front frame, said steeringbar being adapted to fold into engagement with a latch on the rear framewhen said front and rear frame are in their collapsed position, toprevent the front and rear frames from moving away from each other intotheir extended position.
 13. The collapsible vehicle of claim 10 inwhich a seat having a normally generally upright back support member ispivotally attached to said rear frame for folding flat on top of therear frame, and in which said means for moving the rear wheels betweensaid extended and retracted positions are conrolled by pivoting saidback support member toward its said flat position to retract said wheelsand by pivoting said back support member toward its generally uprightposition to extend said wheels.
 14. The collapsible vehicle of claim 10in which a seat having a normally generally upright back support memberis pivotally attached to said rear frame for folding upon the rearframe, and in which said means for moving the rear wheels between saidextended and retracted positions are controlled by pivoting said backsupport member toward its said folded position to retract said wheelsand by pivoting said back support member toward its generally uprightposition to extend said wheels.
 15. A vehicle collapsible to occupy asmaller volume for storage purposes, which comprises: a front frame,including a front wheel-holding assembly; at least one front wheelrotatably attached to said assembly; a floor board carried by said frontframe; a rear frame; an intermediate sliding member having means forcarrying both said floor board and said rear frame in slidingrelationship, whereby said front and rear frames can telescope towardand move away from each other into alternative collapsed and extendedpositions; rear wheels carried by at least one axle, which axle isattached to the rear frame by means of a suspension system whichcomprises: a frame; at least one trailing arm for carrying said axle,each of said trailiNg arms being hinged to said rear frame at one end ofeach arm; a lower hinge member pivotally attached at one end to each ofsaid trailing arms, an upper hinge member pivotally attached at one endto each of said lower hinge members and at its other end to said rearframe to form a hinged joint; stop means limiting the amplitude of thehinged motion in which said lower and upper hinge members may engagewith respect to each other in one direction beyond an end-to-end,parallel relationship while permitting them to engage in hinged motionfreely in the other direction, whereby, as said lower and upper hingemembers engage in hinged motion in said other direction to move fromsaid end-to-end, parallel relationship with each other to an acutateangle relationship, the free end of each of said trailing arms isretracted towards said upper hinge members, while during hinged motionin the opposite direction back toward said end-to-end, parallelrelationship of said hinge members in free end of each trailing arm isextended away from said upper hinge member; whereby said rear wheels andaxle can be alternatively held in a vertically extended, operativeposition and a verticaly retracted position; a seat attached to saidrear frame and having a back support member, said back support memberbeing normally generally upright and being pivotally moveable withrespect to said rear frame for folding into an out-of-the-way horizontalposition; a bar pivotally attached at one end to one of said hingemembers; the other end of said bar being pivotally attached to said backsupport member, whereby pivoting said back support member to itshorizontal position causes said rear wheels and axle to move into theirretracted position, while pivoting said back support member towards itssaid upright position causes said rear wheels and axle to move to theirextended position; and a steering shaft pivotally attached to said frontframe, which steering shaft folds into engagement with a latch on therear frame when the front and rear frames are in their collapsedposition to prevent the front and rear frames from moving away from eachother into their extended position.
 16. A vehicle collapsible to occupya smaller volume for storage purposes which comprises: a frame; at leastone front wheel rotatably attached to said frame; at least two rearwheels rotatably attached to said frame, said rear wheels having avertically extended, operative position and a vertically collapsedposition; a seat having a back support member, said back support memberbeing normally generally upright and being pivotally attached to saidframe for folding upon said frame; and means for selectively moving saidrear wheels into said vertically collapsed position and simultaneouslyfolding said back support member upon said frame, and for moving saidrear wheels into said vertically extended position and simultaneouslyraising said back support member from its folded position to itsgenerally upright position.
 17. The collapsible motor vehicle of claim16 in which said pivotally mounted back support member is remote fromsaid rear wheels and is connected thereto by an expansible andcollapsible linkage for controlling the vertical position of said rearwheels as said back support member is moved from one of its positions toanother.
 18. A vehicle collapsible to occupy a smaller volume forstorage purposes, which comprises: a frame; at least one front wheelrotatably attached to said frame; at least one rear axle; means forsuspending each of said rear axles from the frame and for alternativelyholding each of said axles in a vertically extended, operative positionand a vertically retracted position; at least one wheel rotatablycarried by each of said axles; a seat attached to the frame and having aback support member; said back support member being normally generallyupright and being pivotally moveable with respect to the frame forfolding into an out-of-the-way position; and an actuating link, operatedby pivoting said back supPort member and operatively connected with saidsuspending means, for moving each of said axles into its retractedposition by pivoting the back support member to its horizontal position,and for moving the axle into its extended position by pivoting the backsupport member to its said upright position.
 19. The collapsible vehicleof claim 18 in which said suspending means comprises: at least onetrailing arm for carrying each of said axles, each of said trailing armsbeing hinged to said frame at one end of the arm; a lower hinge memberpivotally attached at one end to each of said trailing arms, an upperhinge member pivotally attached at one end to each of said lower hingemembers and at its other end to said frame and to form a hinged joint;and stop means limiting the amplitude of the hinged motion in which saidlower and upper hinge members may engage, with respect to each other inone direction beyond an end-to-end, parallel relationship whilepermitting them to engage in hinged motion freely in the otherdirection, whereby, as said lower and upper hinge members engage inhinged motion in said other direction to move from said end-to-end,parallel relationship with each other to an acute angle relationship,the free end of each of said trailing arms is retracted towards saidupper hinge member, while during hinged motion in the opposite directionback towards said end-to-end, parallel relationship of said hingedmembers the free end of each trailing arm is extended away from saidupper hinge member, so that each of said rear axles can be alternativelyheld in a vertically extended, operative position and a verticallyretracted position.